New SoybeanTechnologyto Help Meet Growing Demandfor Food and Fuel (NAPSA)—With soaring food prices, global grain shortages and increasing demand for biofuels, the need for crops capable of producing more is becoming increasingly important. Thanks to advances in crop breeding and biotechnology, yield thresholds in various crops are rising, helping farmers keep up with the growing demandfor feed, food and fuel. One such crop is a new generation of soybeans that has been proven in research studies to significantly raise yield. Called Roundup Ready2 Yield, this latest breakthrough in soybean technology is expected to increase yield by 7 to 11 percent over thefirst-generation Roundup Ready soybeans, which are currently planted on 96 percent of U.S. soybean acres. Mature soybeanplants typically have either two-bean or three-bean pods, explained soybean expert Dion McBay. The new soybeans take those pods to a new level. “We have observed significantly more three-bean pods per plant with Roundup Ready 2 Yield compared with the first generation of Roundup Ready soybeans,” said McBay. “That ‘power in the pod’ means more beans per plant, which equates to more for food and fuel as well as moreprofit potential for the farmers who growit.” A new generation of soybeans helps farmers do more with less. The Science Behind The Soybean This soybean was developed through extensive gene mapping that allows the scientists at Monsanto—the company that developed the beans—to identify specific DNA regions in soybeans that are known as “yield positive.” Using advanced insertion and selection technologies, they are able to situate the gene in one of these DNAregions, resulting in higheryield potential. “Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans are amongthe higher-yielding crop technologies coming through the Monsanto research pipeline that will help address the rising demand for food and fuel,” added McBay.
